Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Rimmed baking sheet
• •Pastry brush
• •Small saucepan
• •Wooden serving board or slate platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast the bread

   Preheat your oven to 400°F. Arrange baguette slices in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush both sides lightly with olive oil. Bake until golden and crisp at the edges but still slightly yielding in the center, 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. The color should be the amber of good beer, not the pale blond of undercommitment.

   Day-old bread actually works better here. Fresh bread has too much moisture and won't crisp properly.
2. 2

   Prepare the cheese

   While the bread toasts, ensure your Gorgonzola has reached room temperature. Cold cheese won't spread and lacks the full aromatic punch you want. It should yield easily when pressed with a knife, almost spreadable but holding its shape. If it's still firm, cut it into smaller pieces and let it sit another ten minutes.

3. 3

   Toast the walnuts

   Scatter walnuts on a small baking sheet or in a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast until fragrant and slightly darkened, 4 to 5 minutes, shaking occasionally. They'll continue cooking after you remove them, so pull them when they smell nutty and look golden. Roughly chop once cooled enough to handle.

   Nuts go from toasted to burnt in seconds. Set a timer and stay close. Burned walnuts taste bitter and will ruin the whole affair.
4. 4

   Warm the honey

   Pour honey into a small saucepan and warm over low heat for two minutes, stirring occasionally. You're not trying to cook it, just thin it slightly so it drizzles beautifully. Warm honey flows in ribbons. Cold honey globs and refuses to cooperate. The difference in presentation is substantial.

5. 5

   Assemble the crostini

   Spread each warm toast with a generous smear of Gorgonzola, about a tablespoon per slice. Don't be stingy. The cheese should form a thick layer, not a transparent scrape. Use the back of a spoon to create gentle peaks and valleys in the surface.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Arrange assembled crostini on your serving board or platter. Drizzle warm honey over each in a lazy zigzag pattern, letting it pool in the cheese's crevices. Scatter toasted walnuts, then finish with thyme leaves, a few crystals of flaky salt, and freshly cracked pepper. Serve within twenty minutes while the toast retains its crunch.

   The salt is not optional. A few flakes of Maldon or fleur de sel brighten the entire bite and prevent the sweetness from becoming cloying.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out Gorgonzola dolce, the younger and creamier version of this cheese. Gorgonzola piccante is firmer and sharper, better for crumbling over salads than spreading on toast. If dolce proves elusive, a good domestic blue like Point Reyes Original Blue works admirably.
• •For scaling: one baguette yields roughly 24 slices. Eight ounces of cheese covers 24 crostini generously. Double or triple the recipe in direct proportion. For a party of 20, plan on 3 baguettes and 24 ounces of cheese. People return to this platter.
• •The honey you choose shapes the final flavor. Wildflower honey offers floral complexity. Chestnut honey brings woodsy depth that pairs magnificently with the cheese's earthiness. Avoid overly processed honey, which tastes only of sweetness.
• •If Gorgonzola intimidates your guests, Cambozola offers a gentler introduction to blue cheese. It's creamier, milder, and no one will judge you for the substitution.

Advance Preparation

• •Crostini can be toasted up to 4 hours ahead and stored uncovered at room temperature. Recrisp in a 350°F oven for 2 minutes if they've softened.
• •Walnuts can be toasted up to a week ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
• •Do not assemble more than 20 minutes before serving. The honey will eventually soften the toast, and you'll lose that essential crunch.
• •For large parties, set up an assembly station: bowl of softened cheese, warm honey in a small pitcher, prep bowls of walnuts and thyme. Assemble in batches as guests arrive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 crostini (about 60g)